Tag: Endurance

Ya’ll, trying to get this endurance turtle to become a speedy hare is hard work. Right about now, I’m am cussing myself out for letting what snippets of speediness I had go by the wayside as I trained long, and then longer still over the past two years. Over the past several weeks, I’ve dabbled in the “delights” of shorter course racing with one sprint triathlon (Egg Harbor Sprint Tri) and one olympic-equivalent 7-stage triathlon (Survival of the Mills). These were fun, local races and I was able to race well. Survival of the Mills, in particular, was an incredibly fun race that mixed …

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Several years ago, I wrote about the joy of the first time finish line, as a reflection of my first Ironman. Not many race experiences can compare with that feeling that takes over the first time you cross the finish line of an unknown distance or event. It’s empowering. It’s extraordinary. It’s addicting. But, the road to that first (or second or twentieth) time finish line is filled often with uncertainty, confusion, and a healthy dose of fear. As we get deeper into the season, some of the athletes I coach are doing things they’ve never done before: longest distances, hardest efforts, first time events. …

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Readers, forgive me. It’s been two months since my last post. This is the point where you, my readers, absolve me of my blog transgressions. I’ll wait. … Okay, thanks. It’s not that I’ve been at a loss for words – far from it. My draft folder is FULL of the ideas I’ve had since my last post about the Double Anvil. To mention just a few, I’ve got drafts (soon to be posts) about our run across Zion National Park, what our food shopping list looks like, what it’s like to train for a Double Anvil, how to gear up for a …

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Unless you consume absolutely no mainstream or social media of any type, it’s very likely you’ve seen this incredible feat by Kacy Catanzaro, the first woman to finish the American Ninja Warrior finals course. It’s incredible. It’s inspiring. And, it made me weep, thinking of how accomplished, how fulfilled this woman must feel. But, the more I thought about it, the more there was something about the response to her achievement that irked me. The tone in the announcer’s voices, the amazement on the faces of the spectators, the proclamations of utter surprise all about the social webs–including myself at first. The …

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Recently, when reviewing my site analytics, I discovered a blog, from Russia, that was referring visitors to my site. That’s odd, I thought. Sometimes, international sites link to my blog, which I usually determine to be spammers. But, I was curious. So, I navigated to the site, and looked through the page, to find that I was featured at the bottom. But, what does it say? Ever the curious sort, I copied the words into Google Translator, and discovered that this post was about women bloggers that this particular blogger reads. Cool. But, what was she saying about ME?! 7. Maria ( her …

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John and I were just moments from jumping into the river at Ironman Louisville. The line was moving at a fast pace, and I was quiet. John asked, “Are you okay?” “Yep,” I replied. “I’m just getting ready to go to work.” I was calm and prepared. Flashback to Ironman Mont Tremblant in 2012. John and I are on the beach, in the moments before the start. He asked me how I was doing. I burst into tears. I was nervous and scared. What was the difference between these two moments? Simple: My brain. Most of us spend 7 days a week training our …

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There has to be more to life than going to work, spending money, and complaining about the weather. At least, I certainly hope there is. Life must mean something–or even a whole lot of somethings. The actions we take and the paths we make have to contribute to some greater good, whether that is through supporting others, improving social justice, or just simply being a positive influence. Endurance sport adds considerable meaning to my life. But, the significance of running and triathlon goes well beyond the physical acts of training and racing. Sure, the human body is pretty amazing, and I’ve learned …

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Not long after I finished Ironman Louisville, my coach Vince and I talked to discuss what was next. “I want you to run a 50k,” he said. “Squeeeeeeaaaaaaallllllll!!!!” I was so excited, and so very loud in my exclamation. I do feel optimistic that Vince will regain full hearing at some point. Prior to this talk, I had assumed that his recommendation would be another 6-months of cycling, with a side of cycling. But, I was wrong. Gloriously, wonderfully, happily wrong. I had about two months to focus my training on the thing I loved the most: the run. And …

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There I was, in the middle of my run, just bee-bopping along and the thought occurred to me: triathlon season was coming to an end for me. The best season of my triathlon career. Over. And, then it hit me. The “it” being the post Ironman blues, or in my case, the post-best-triathlon-season-ever blues. Since then, I’ve been feeling a little sad, agitated, bored, unmotivated, and annoyed. All at once. Being the curious sort that I am, I wondered if there was an explanation for the post Ironman blues. I’ve had this feeling after almost every Ironman or “big” race I’ve …

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When John was training for Ironman Cozumel, where he went on to qualify for Kona, he had a piece of paper that read: Pain cannot be ignored: It has to be conquered, and when it inevitably returns, it has to be conquered again. Find what you have and handle it. Physical Mental Emotional Spiritual Now, I have this same piece of paper, hanging from a clip in front of my desk. It is a reminder of what is different about my training this year. It is a reminder that I have to learn how to conquer pain. Again. And again. …